


Tony, Steve, And Bruce

by emm_y



Series: Downtime [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Science Bros, Stark Spangled Banner - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-23
Updated: 2013-10-23
Packaged: 2017-12-30 05:28:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1014691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emm_y/pseuds/emm_y
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After everything they've been through, Steve, Tony, and Bruce are pretty good friends.  A non-linear collection of tales of what the Stark Spangled Banner trio get up to during downtime.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tony, Steve, And Bruce

“Steve, I’ve got something for you!” Bruce called out as he let himself into Steve’s apartment in Stark Tower. “Remember those model planes you were telling me about? I totally saw some in a store window on my way back from the farmers market! Want to put them together with me?”

Bruce, hearing no reply, checked to see if Steve was home. He saw Steve’s jacket on the couch, and a mess of magazines on the floor. Bruce frowned, it wasn’t like Steve to leave things out of place. There were other little signs that Steve was, at the very least, having an off day. Bruce moved through the apartment and ticked them off as he saw them. All the doors were closed, and pictures near the door-frames hung crookedly as though they had been slammed shut. It was silent, and as he tiptoed through the hallways Bruce wondered what could have put Steve in such a bad mood.

Bruce found Steve sitting at his kitchen counter, wearing his workout clothes and holding what looked to be whiskey on the rocks. He looked up at Bruce’s entrance, then resignedly back down to his drink.

“Hey Bruce.”

“Steve, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing much.” He took a swig of his drink, wincing as he swallowed. “I can’t believe Frank Sinatra drank this on a regular basis. It’s awful.”

“Little early to be drinking, don’t you think?” Bruce set down his bag on a chair. “And Frank Sinatra is maybe not the best role model. I have heard not so nice things about him.”

“He was talented though. He was damn good at what he did.” 

“Is that what brought this on?” Bruce asked, nodding towards the drink. “Things not going so well at work?”

“No, work is great. How could it not be? I’m leading special forces missions all over the world, helping people every day. Actually Fury told me today that once my Chinese gets good enough, the President is going to start sending me on ambassadorial assignments. Me! An Ambassador!”

“I didn’t know you were learning Chinese.”

“I only started a couple weeks ago. It’s actually not too hard.” Steve’s eyes had been bright with excitement when talking about the President, but they dulled.

“Steve, Chinese is extremely hard. When I tried-“

“It’s okay Bruce, I get it. Thanks for trying though.” He stared down into his cup, twirling it so the ice moved back and forth.

“So what’s up then? What’s got you so worked up you don’t even want to go destroy a few punching bags?”

Steve looked at Bruce, about to tell him, but nothing would come out but an angry grunt. That grunt told Bruce everything he needed to know.

“What did he say this time?” Bruce got up, helping himself to a beer from Steve’s fridge. He would need the alcohol, talking about Tony’s awful interpersonal skills always put him on edge.

“Nothing! He didn’t even say anything! He just brushed me off and flew away in that stupid suit of his!”

“If that was really all he did you wouldn’t be drinking whiskey by yourself at three in the afternoon.”

“Well there’s not a whole lot going on, so I was leaving early today, when Director Fury told me about my becoming an ambassador. Tony was the only one home, so I went to tell him the good news. He just looked at me, like he was waiting for something else. Then he goes “Oh, well, I’m glad Fury found you something to do. Let me know if anything exciting happens, I have stuff to do.” And hops in the suit and jets off.”

Bruce looked at Steve, confused. “I have to say Steve, that doesn’t sound that bad. He’s said some outright mean things to you and you barely batted an eyelash. Why does this have you so riled up? It’s not like you.”

“Just, I was so excited. All I ever wanted to be was a soldier, and serve my country and protect its citizens. I’d never even dreamed of being so important I was sent on diplomatic missions. Not just important, I’m not just getting sent because I’m intimidating, but Director Fury must have suggested it. That means he thinks I would be good at it. I’m Steve, from Brooklyn. I’m going to be Ambassador Rogers, representing the United States of America. That’s important! I’m important! And Tony just…”

Steve threw back his drink, finishing it off. He went to the liquor cabinet to get a refill but changed his mind, apparently remembering that it was stocked courtesy of Tony Stark. Pulling a beer out of the fridge he sat back down next to Bruce.

“I just don’t understand why he has to shoot me down. I don’t know why I bothered telling him at all. Why did I expect anything different? Of course he’s going to blow it off.” He chugged the beer down.

“Whoa there, it doesn’t do anyone any good for you to get drunk right now.” Bruce reached for the beer, but Steve just laughed bitterly.

“I can’t get drunk Bruce. Well, I can, but cost tends to be prohibitive. Didn’t you know that?”

Bruce thought for a moment before replying, “No, I didn’t actually.”

“The super healing. My liver can take pretty much anything. Just another reason to be depressed I suppose.”

“Ok, that’s enough. Pity party over. Steve, I can think of several reasons why Tony wouldn’t even bother to insult you.”

“Can you? I’m pretty sure he did. You know, by telling me to let him know if anything exciting happened.”

“No Steve, really, listen to me. He might have been honestly asking for you to keep him updated. China had some protests a while ago, and with the living symbol of freedom going into talks with their leader, some exciting stuff might actually happen.”

Steve looked at Bruce skeptically. “Really now.”

“Yes Steve, really. Also, he could be jealous.”

“Tony. Jealous. Why on earth would Tony be jealous of me?”

“You know how he thinks of himself as the living representation of the American Dream. He wants to be the one to bring de-militarization, peace, and puppies to the world. And here you are, less than a year after coming out of a cryogenic freeze almost double his lifetime, and you’re being sent on important diplomatic missions to a country that didn’t even matter until twenty years after you went under? That has to sting a little. Even more so to with Tony’s massive ego.”

“Now that, I would believe.”

“Me too. But here’s the last one, and you probably won’t even consider it as an option.”

“What?”

“Tony might actually be happy for you.”

Steve stared at Bruce, in shock. “You’re joking.”

“Nope. Not even a little.”

“Tony shows he’s happy for me… by cutting me down and leaving?”

Bruce waited a moment for it to sink in. Steve nodded.

“Yeah, okay. That makes sense too.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over anything Tony says or does. It’s hardly ever what you think it is.”

“I guess so.”

“Now come on. I have some model planes for us to build.”

Steve instantly perked up. “Really? What models?”

Bruce pulled the boxes out of the bag. “I don’t know. Pick your poison. I’m going to grab some glue and clamps from my lab, you pick out the ones we’re making.”

Steve nodded and began sorting through the planes. Bruce ran to his apartment, calling out to Jarvis as soon as he entered.

“Yes sir?”

“Could you call Tony for me please?”

“Of course sir.”

Bruce waited a moment, and Tony came on the line.

“Bruce, what’s up?”

“What are you doing?”

“Making some renovations to the Santa Monica place, why?”

“No, I mean about Steve.”

“What about him?”

“You know what about.”

“The ambassador thing? I’ve got it covered.”

“Tony, what do you have covered?”

“Don’t worry about it, just make sure you keep Friday open.”

Bruce chuckled. “Don’t go too overboard, you know it’s just a ceremonial thing.”

“Hey now, that boy is going to represent the United States of America. Don’t mock the flag Bruce.”

“Tony, come on.”

“I will tell Steve you disrespected the flag. It won’t be pretty.”

“Okay Tony. Just keep it low key. You might even want to wait until he actually has a date to leave. He hasn’t even officially been given a position yet.”

“Bruce?”

“Yeah?”

“Stop raining on my parade. It’s my party, and I’ll have it when I want.”

“Just promise me you’ll talk to Pepper before you actually set anything up, okay? Your and Steve’s tastes don’t exactly match up.”

“As if I would do anything without Pepper’s approval.”

“Of course not. Keep me posted.”

“Will do.”

Tony disconnected the call, and Bruce grabbed the clamps and glue, hurrying back to Steve’s place.

“Took you long enough. I’ve got everything set up over here.”

Bruce looked around to see newspaper spread over the table and a couple boxes open, parts spread out and instructions propped up with glasses.

“Sorry, Jarvis was updating me on a couple experiments.”

“Got it. Let’s get started then!”


End file.
